Minerals: How important are they for our health?

As you get more comfortable with an acid alkaline diet, you can start to incorporate other concepts into your eating habits.  One of these concepts is to ensure you are getting all the proper nutrients!

In a similar way to any other complex machine, our bodies need the right kind of fuel in order to function properly. Minerals play an essential role as far as this goes so it is important that we learn about them and how they help us to live healthy lives.

For the most part, our bodies are made up of water carrying all manner of substances throughout the vessels. This can be likened to passengers traveling along on a bus. Upon arrival at the location where they are needed, substances such as minerals, amino and fatty acids, hormones and vitamins pass through the vessel lining and take up position in the organs and cells.

So, why are minerals so important?  The reason we need minerals in our bodies is all about electrolyte imbalance. Taking a general view, minerals are present in the fluid which makes up cells. Electrolytes are the minerals and mineral salts present such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and sodium, the majority of which are actively involved in muscle, tissue and bone building.

If we do not have enough minerals in our bodies, changes begin to occur. When certain minerals are in short supply it would not be unusual to experience pain in the lower back, a poor skin texture, a brittleness of the finger and toe nails, a weakness in your hair, and maybe dental, heart and depression problems.

Let’s take a look at iron. Iron forms hemoglobin in the blood.  It is the mineral which is responsible for blood being red in color and it transports oxygen to the various cells of our bodies. A low level of iron is often the reason why females feel tired during their menstrual cycle when they lose quite a lot of blood.

There are several foods we need on a daily basis which supply the necessary minerals and vitamins to the body and by eating a variety of these foods we can rest assured that our mineral and vitamin intake is as it should be. For example, iron is provided by animal products like chicken, fish and red meat, and seafood not only gives us iron but many other essentials, namely, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.  Seeds and nuts contain selenium too.

An assortment of metabolic processes is driven by minerals working alongside enzymes. When minerals are taken into the tissues of the body they play their part in regulating everything from muscle growth to nerve function. The federal government has come up with an RDA (recommended daily allowance) of the minerals and vitamins we need to keep the body functioning in good working order.

Where else can these minerals be found? For those who don’t eat red meat and fish, the good news is that fruit and vegetables are a great source of minerals. Citrus fruits and berries are just what’s needed for the necessary intake of calcium, copper and iron just as the leafy green variety of vegetables will supply us with copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.

Experiencing the unwanted effects of not getting enough minerals will be a thing of the past as long as a variety of the above mentioned foods are eaten on a regular basis.  And they fit very nicely with an acid alkaline balanced diet

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is such a nebulous condition it can be difficult to identify as a distinct illness at all. The most common symptoms are abdominal cramping, bloating and gas, and diarrhea or constipation. With such normal signs as that – which can occur with dozens of other, more serious conditions – it can be hard to diagnose IBS.

Yet, physicians and researchers regard this syndrome as among the most common disorders and often distinguish it as much by what it is not, or by the absence of signs of other diseases. Unlike more serious ailments, like Crohn’s or colitis for example, IBS does not produce inflammation of the colon. Neither does it increase the odds of colorectal cancer, as those diseases can.

Because the symptoms themselves are so varied – indeed sometimes contradictory, such as alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea – it is difficult to narrow down the presence of IBS. However, it is a chronic condition – occasional cramping or gas is completely normal and doesn’t merit a special name – and so it receives a specific tag.

As semi-digested food (called “chyme”) moves into the colon, where water is extracted and helpful bacteria create vitamins B and K, the intestinal muscles contract to keep it going. We’re normally not aware of that contraction, called peristalsis. In IBS, those contractions can be spasmodic and stronger than normal, causing food to move too quickly or too slowly. The first often leads to diarrhea, the second to constipation.

There is research to suggest that some individuals are hypersensitive to that movement. They sense more clearly the stretching of the bowel produced by gas or bloating. That can lead to stress that tends to amplify the ill effects. Since women are more prone to IBS, some studies believe that hormones play a role, as well, particularly since symptoms often worsen during the menstrual period.

Since diet plays a role – some experience IBS after consuming chocolate, milk, or alcohol – it is possible to modify the symptoms in some cases. Reducing intake is an obvious method, but diet alterations help, too. Eating yogurt, for example, which contains organisms that break down lactose sugars, can help counter the effects of drinking milk for those who are lactose intolerant.

Controlling stress is often more difficult than simply an act of will. Education and counseling can provide techniques to reduce the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed that are typical of the condition. That often leads to a reduction or even elimination of the symptoms of IBS.

Nearly one in five American adults are believed to suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome yet, because it is so easy to confuse with normal stomach upsets, fewer than half seek professional diagnosis and treatment. The condition itself is not particularly serious and certainly not life threatening. But the overlap in many of the symptoms warrant a visit to the physician if they persist. That will help individuals discover if a more serious underlying condition is at fault.